Preparation. It's a word that has a number of powerful connotations connected with it. When used in relation to Dance Teachers, preparation can make the difference as to whether one is a success or a failure at any given point in time. So I've got a question for you; On a scale of one to ten, ten being "Always Prepared" to one being "Never Prepared", how would you rate yourself each and every day that you have to teach?
If you came up with a number lower number, not to worry. I don't think there's ever a time when you can be 100% prepared for everything and anything before it happens. Makes sense, no? Think about it. You can spend weeks preparing the perfect dance class or recital but something will always come up when it comes to making those thoughts and ideas a reality. This means to say that you can never totally prepare for the unexpected. What's important here is that you take the time to prepare. Without that, you have no firm foundation to stand on. Going into things blindly has nothing to do with being prepared.
Let's say you have a number to choreograph for an upcoming recital for your students. You've done the work and spent days taking everything into account. You feel pretty sure that what you've put together is going to be nothing short of a show-stopper. Now it's time to teach everyone the choreography. All of a sudden you realize that some students might not be able to execute everything you thought they would be able to accomplish. Not only that but now, as you sit and watch your number being danced on the stage the night of the recital, all kinds of things happen that you never even thought of as you were creating your work of art. Is there anything wrong with this process? No! Things will always happen that are unexpected and totally unplanned. The lesson to learn here is that all you can do is take the time necessary to prepare and do your best while doing so. Once you've done all you can by pouring your heart, soul and passion into your task, you need to let it go. Having a good amount of fun during the preparing process really helps as well. Then give it up to the gods and let destiny take its course. You have to let it go and it will indeed, come back to you. So what if everything isn't perfect. Is anything ever perfect in life? It could very well be that one of the reasons we're here is to learn that true perfection comes in the doing, the creating...not so much when one reaches the end of the line. In other words, as long as you prepare yourself well for the journey, the destination part of the process is out of your hands. Knowing in your heart of hearts that you have given all that you could and did the best job possible is more than enough. That's the journey part of the process. It's also what will get you to the finish line, which is the destination.
What's the fuel that will help you get there? Your attitude. Your mindset can make all the difference in the world whether all this preparation you've invested your time, energy and emotions in actually pays off in the end. Having a positive frame of mind goes a long way in assuring that your preparation was a success.
It's like baking a cake. You have the idea in your head for the perfect cake. You write out a killer recipe and go about preparing it. The thoughts you think of during the process of making your cake are an integral part of the process. If you think that the finished product will be totally awful, there's a good chance that your wish will indeed become a reality. However, if you go about the preparation of the cake just knowing that you've got something incredibly special here, people will probably love the finished product.
The process of preparation involves two things; The doing of it and making sure that what you take the time to prepare actually happens and the mindset you choose to adopt while you are in the process of preparation. So the next time you find yourself preparing for an important destination, make sure that the journey you take to get there is full of fun, passion and positive thoughts. It not only makes getting there so much more worthwhile, but what happens at the finish line will amaze everyone, mostly importantly...you!
